80 PLUM. [1900 



The specimens sent me varied much both iu size and shape, the 

 largest being about one and a half inches long, narrowly oval in shape, 

 and somewhat flattened, and from about half to three-quarters of an 

 inch in width. Others were irregularly mis-shapen growths, mere 

 roundish lumps, not wholly developing the characteristic form, and 

 not advanced beyond from about half to three-quarters of an inch in 

 length, and about half an inch across. In two of these there was 

 some slight amount of growth of kernel, but the healthy young 

 Damsons sent accompanying had already developed a stone of some 

 degree of hardness, with a good healthy kernel within. 



The figure, p. 78 (after Sorauer), gives a very fair idea for working 

 purposes of the altered size and shape of infested Plums ; one at quite 

 full growth, the other not yet mature. But during December I was 

 indebted to Mr. Connold for a photo of two sprays of BuUace Plum, 

 each with diseased and healthy fruit, which showed the effect of the 

 attack admirably. In one instance especially, a swelled and mis-shapen 

 fruit, figured pendant, with the healthy Bullace only about a third of 

 the length of the deformed fruit pendant at its side, showed the dis- 

 tinctions very perfectly. Should Mr. Connold's photo of the effect of 

 the E. pnmi fungus be reproduced with any paper which he may give 

 on the subject of the infestation, it would be well worth while for 

 Plum- growers who suspect infestation amongst their fruit to procure a 

 copy, as it shows the kind of mischief caused correctly, and far more 

 plainly than a written description. 



Those who wish to study the history of this attack will find an 

 excellent account of it by Prof. H. Marshall Ward, F.R.S., at 

 pp. 107-116 of the little book referred to below.* 



The external appearance, and also the internal characteristics of 

 the diseased fruit are excellently and plainly described, as also the 

 nature of the fungoid attack, and the method of its action in altering 

 the development of tissue of the Plum by causing superabundant flow 

 of food-supplies, to the fleshy portion of the fruit, at the expense of 

 those which should have formed the stone and kernel. Notes are given 

 also of measures which cannot fail to lessen amount of presence of the 

 attack. 



I extract a few of the main points. It is mentioned that the chief 

 symptom of the infestation consists of the malformed developments 

 which attack the very young fruits as they are beginning to swell, and 

 cause their tissues so to change their natures that, " instead of a ripe 

 luscious Plum with a properly hardened stone containing its seed, we 

 find an unequally formed dirty greenish, or yellow, hollow, and tough 



• ' Romance of Science : Diseases of Plants.' By H. Marshall Ward, F.R.S., &c. 

 London : Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. 



